# Samuel Rosenthal
> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Samuel_Rosenthal
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Samuel_Rosenthal.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Rosenthal
> Source revision: 1342461862
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{Short description|Polish-French chess player (1837–1902)}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2007}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Samuel Rosenthal
| image = Rosenthal Samuel.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1837|9|7|df=y}}
| birth_place = [Suwałki](/source/Suwa%C5%82ki), [Congress Poland](/source/Congress_Poland), [Russian Empire](/source/Russian_Empire)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1902|9|12|1837|9|7|df=y}}
| death_place = [Neuilly-sur-Seine](/source/Neuilly-sur-Seine), [France](/source/French_Third_Republic)
| occupation = Chess player
| years_active =
| known_for =
}}
''' Samuel Rosenthal ''' (7 September 1837 – 12 September 1902) was a Polish-born French [chess](/source/chess) player. Chess historian [Edward Winter](/source/Edward_Winter_(chess_historian)) wrote, "He dedicated his life to chess-playing, touring, writing, teaching and analysing. Despite only occasional participation in first-class events, he scored victories over all the leading masters of the time ([Anderssen](/source/Adolf_Anderssen), [Blackburne](/source/Joseph_Henry_Blackburne), [Chigorin](/source/Mikhail_Chigorin), [Mackenzie](/source/George_Henry_Mackenzie), [Mason](/source/James_Mason_(chess_player)), [Paulsen](/source/Louis_Paulsen), [Steinitz](/source/Wilhelm_Steinitz) and [Zukertort](/source/Johannes_Zukertort)). He also acquired world renown as an unassuming showman who gave large [simultaneous displays](/source/Glossary_of_chess) and [blindfold](/source/blindfold_chess) séances, invariably producing a cluster of glittering moves."[{{cite web|url=https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/showman.html|title=A Forgotten Showman|first=Edward|last=Winter|date=1999|accessdate=4 April 2021|publisher=chesshistory.com}}]
Rosenthal became a law student and moved from [Warsaw](/source/Warsaw) to [Paris](/source/Paris), during the Polish revolution in 1864, after the failure of the [January Uprising](/source/January_Uprising). He settled in Paris as a chess professional and writer.[{{cite web |url=http://www.midrasz.home.pl/2002/wrz/wrz02_2.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030417012614/http://www.midrasz.home.pl/2002/wrz/wrz02_2.html |archive-date=17 April 2003 |title=ydzi - nieuleczalny przypadek szachofilii - Daniel Grinberg}}] In 1864, he lost a match to [Ignatz von Kolisch](/source/Ignatz_von_Kolisch) (+1−7=0) in Paris. Rosenthal won the [Café de la Régence](/source/Caf%C3%A9_de_la_R%C3%A9gence) championship in 1865, 1866, and 1867 in Paris, and became the strongest French chess player. In 1867, he came ninth in the [Paris tournament](/source/Paris_1867_chess_tournament) (von Kolisch won), and lost a match to [Gustav Neumann](/source/Gustav_Neumann) (+0−5=6) in Paris. In 1869, he lost two matches to Neumann (+1−3=1) and (+2−4=1). In July 1870, he tied for 8–9th places in [Baden-Baden](/source/Baden-Baden_1870_chess_tournament). The event was won by [Adolf Anderssen](/source/Adolf_Anderssen).
Because of the [Franco Prussian War](/source/Franco_Prussian_War) in 1870–71, Rosenthal moved to London. In 1870–71, he won a match against [John Wisker](/source/John_Wisker) (+3−2=4).
In July–August 1873, Rosenthal took fourth place, behind [Wilhelm Steinitz](/source/Wilhelm_Steinitz), [Joseph Henry Blackburne](/source/Joseph_Henry_Blackburne), and Anderssen, in Vienna. In 1878, he tied for 7–8th in Paris ([Johannes Zukertort](/source/Johannes_Zukertort) and [Szymon Winawer](/source/Szymon_Winawer) won). In 1880, he won in Paris the first unofficial [French Chess Championship](/source/French_Chess_Championship) (ahead of [Albert Clerc](/source/Albert_Clerc) and [Jules Arnous de Rivière](/source/Jules_Arnous_de_Rivi%C3%A8re)). In 1880, he lost a match against Zukertort (+1−7=11) in London. In 1883, he took 8th in London (Zukertort won).
His results were affected by his journalistic activities and bad health.
From 1885 to 1902, he edited a chess column for the ''Le Monde Illustré'', and also wrote for ''La Strategie'', ''La Vie Moderne'', and other French newspapers. The American writers [David Shenk](/source/David_Shenk) and [Joshua Wolf Shenk](/source/Joshua_Wolf_Shenk) are descendants of Samuel Rosenthal.{{citation needed|date=February 2014}}
==Notable chess games==
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1255302 Cecil De Vere vs Samuel Rosenthal, Paris 1867, English Opening, King's English Variation, A20, 0–1]
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1019352 Adolf Anderssen vs Samuel Rosenthal, Baden-Baden 1870, Italian Game, Evans Gambit, C51, 0–1]
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1028916 Joseph Henry Blackburne vs Samuel Rosenthal, Queen's Gambit Accepted, Traditional System, Vienna 1873, D37, 0–1]
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1028031 Samuel Rosenthal vs Henry Bird, Paris 1878, French Defense, C00, 1–0]
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1002009 Wilhelm Steinitz vs Samuel Rosenthal, London 1883, Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense, C65, 0–1]
*[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1001976 Szymon Winawer vs Samuel Rosenthal, London 1883, Bishop's Opening, Boi Variation, C23, 0–1]
==See also==
* [List of Jewish chess players](/source/List_of_Jewish_chess_players)
==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{citation
| editor-last=Singer | editor-first=Isidore | editor-link=Isidore Singer
| last1=Rosenthal | first1=Herman | author1-link=Herman Rosenthal
| last2=Porter | first2=A.
| year=1901–1906 | title=[Jewish Encyclopedia](/source/Jewish_Encyclopedia)
| contribution=Rosenthal, Samuel
| contribution-url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view_page.jsp?artid=413&letter=R
| volume=10 | page=481}}
==External links==
*{{chessgames player|id=16050}}
* [http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/showman.html A Forgotten Showman (1999), by Edward Winter]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosenthal, Samuel}}
Category:1837 births
Category:1902 deaths
Category:Emigrants from Congress Poland to France
Category:Sportspeople from Suwałki
Category:French people of Polish-Jewish descent
Category:Jewish chess players
Category:19th-century Polish chess players
Category:19th-century French chess players
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Samuel Rosenthal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Rosenthal) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Rosenthal?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.